Fluid withdrawal means for tanks



July 9, 1968 M. NANNI FLUID WITHDRAWAL MEANS FOR TANKS Filed March 28, 1967 INVENTOR.

MART IN NANNI P 6.4, HIS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 0 3,391,835 FLUID WITHDRAWAL MEANS FOR TANKS Martin Nanni, 2 Darwood Place, Mount Vernon, N.Y. 10553 Filed Mar. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 626,500 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-424) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A swingable assembly, pivoted at one end within an oil tank and including an intake pipe and a return pipe, conjointly movable and connected, respectively, with a suction or feed line and a return line. Near the outer end of the intake pipe there is a feed opening and a float and the outer open end of the return pipe is arranged to discharge fiuid into the area from which fluid is sucked into the feed pipe.

The present invention, which represents an improvement over that disclosed in my Patent No. 3,172,581, solves the problem of drawing oil and other fluids from a point near the top of the liquid level of the contents of the tank where they are free from contaminants which invariably are present in tanks. These contaminants, such as water, sludge, solid particles, and the like, greatly reduce the eflectiveness of the burner, and hence produce smoke and soot which foul the air. A contaminant such as water can also completely stop operation of the burner.

More particularly, the arrangement of the present invention employs two lines leading into the tank, one a suction line to draw fuel oil from the tank, and the second a fluid return line. These lines are connected, respectively, with an intake pipe and a return pipe which move conjointly up and down in the tank as the liquid level varies, this up and down movement being caused by a float carried at the outer end of one of the pipes. The inner end of this assembly is pivotally mounted near the bottom of the tank so that only the outer end moves. The intake pipe has an opening in its lower face close to its upper end which is so arranged relative to the float as to be at all times just below the liquid level in the tank. Just below this intake opening the upper open end of the return pipe is positioned so as to discharge oil into the area from which the intake opening sucks oil. The oil in this return pipe, connected with the return line, is at a higher temperature than the oil in the tank because it is to a certain extent preheated as it passes through the burner assembly. Accordingly, the oil in the feed lines is heated somewhat and the extent of this heat can be increased if there is also provided a by-pass between the outer ends of the return pipe and the supply pipe in addition to the opening at the outer end of the return pipe.

The figure in the drawing shows a side elevation of the assembly of the present invention within a tank.

The figure in the drawing shows a tank 10 equipped with the fluid delivery system of the present invention. The tank has a number of openings, only one of which is shown and this is closed by means of a removable closure plate 11 through which a feed or suction line 12 and a return line 14 pass. Oil passes from the tank up through suction line 12 to the furnace (not shown) and excess oil, generally at a higher temperature than oil in the feed line,

3,391,835 Patented July 9, 1968 is returned to the tank under a measure of pressure through the return line 14. The latter is of smaller diameter than the feed line. To retain the two fluid lines in generally parallel relation, one or more braces 16 extend therebetween near their lower ends.

An intake pipe 18 is joined at its inner end to the lower end of the feed line 12 by a short flexible conduit 19. Some suitable means may be employed to control sidewise motion and prevent contact with the sidewalls of the tank. Such means may comprise a U-shaped arm structure 20 pivoted at its base at 21 at the lower end of the feed line and extending outwardly through collars 22 secured at opposite sides of the intake pipe. Thus the arm structure slides in the collars during the up and down travel of the intake pipe.

A suction intake opening 24 is formed near the outer end of the intake pipe on its lower surface and a float 26 is secured at this upper end. A return pipe 28 for the heated oil is of smaller diameter than the intake pipe and its outer open end 30 is diagonally inclined at a point just below intake opening 24 so that is discharges the heated return oil directly into the area where the suction intake opening draws its oil. Accordingly, a substantial portion of the oil drawn into the intake is somewhat heated if the return pipe is discharging at that time.

Braces 31 between the pipes assure conjoint movement thereof. A flexible conduit 33 connects the return pipe with return line 14.

There is shown at 36 an optional arrangement comprising a connection 36 between the outer end of the return pipe and the intake pipe. This connection pipe may be of substantially the same diameter as that of the return pipe so that some of the oil in the latter may discharge into the tank and some into the intake pipe.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. The combination with a fuel oil tank provided with an oil feed line and an oil return line, both extending down to the lower section of the tank, of an oil intake pipe and an oil return pipe connected with the feed line and the return line, respectively, flexible means providing fluid connections between one of the ends of said intake and return pipe with the lower ends of said feed line and return line, respectively, to permit the opposite ends of said pipe to move upwardly and downwardly in said tank, and means connecting the pipe to cause conjoint movement thereof, the opposite end of the feed pipe having a feed opening on its lower surface, and a float carried at said opposite end, the return pipe having an exit opening disposed just below said feed opening so as to discharge fuel in the area supplying fuel oil to the intake pipe.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein means are provided for confining such up and down movement to the center section of the tank.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the return pipe has a lesser diameter than the intake pipe, the pipes connected together for conjoint movement.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the tubular element connects said pipes near their outer ends to permit some of the oil in the return pipe to pass directly to the intake pipe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,122,227 6/ 1938 Goehler 220-85 2,325,931 8/1943 Arigdor 222-146 2,832,512 4/1958 Brooks 222--405 X ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

